


Cinnamon Bone

by Lady_Amarant



Series: O You Sinners [2]
Category: Slayers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-07
Packaged: 2018-02-12 04:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2096469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Amarant/pseuds/Lady_Amarant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What Xellos did is starting to have consequences beyond what Zelgadis expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cinnamon Bone

**Author's Note:**

> Mild emeto warning. Also, a little reminder, I've just heard of the two new series (which apparently came out years ago shows how much I pay attention), so the furthest I've seen is TRY. So this tales place after TRY.
> 
> Fun fact, "Cinnamon Bone" is the second time Eliza Rickman has been featured as the weather for Welcome to Night Vale! "The Librarian" live show is still on tour but it should be up soon, hopefully for free!

Fruitless searches seemed the norm now. This time, Zelgadis hadn't even found the purported shrine, time and natural events having swept it away to be lost forever. It wouldn't have mattered much - he had a feeling what had been there was nothing more than treasure Lina would have nearly had orgasmic joy over. Not even his luck, just a feeling.

There had to be something. Rezo, Shabranigdo hadn't been the strongest force in the universe. The Lord of Nightmares existed, after all. Zelgadis shivered at the memory, of Lina nearly erased from existence by that power. No, he'd look for options among the holy first, before he would look among the Mazoku and power that absolute. His mind forcibly turned from the thought, to Lina herself.

It wasn't often he went so long without hearing a new rumor about her or what she had done. Her temper usually had her blowing something up on a regular basis. Zelgadis smirked as he made his way back to town, considering this. She had at least been interesting to travel with. But her thirst for treasure didn't match with his ache for a cure, so he parted ways with her not too recently. Too bad, he reflected. He could use

_excitement interest fun amusement_

her unique look on things. She heard things in her travels he never did, usually from chasing bandits and their treasures.

There were options for him as well. Options whispered to him from a promise. Things even Lina hadn't dreamed of, secrets passed on only through the lips of demons and monsters-

_No._ He wouldn't take Xellos's offer, no matter how tempting it was. Working for a Mazokus... Zelgadis took a deep breath, turning his hood up as he heard the rumble of a cart break through his thoughts. If it wasn’t for the sudden ravenous hunger spiking through his gut, he wouldn’t have even bothered returning. But he needed a dinner he wasn’t going to find in the woods.

Unnervingly, he had been hungry like this since Xellos had made his offer. He carefully pulled his mask up as the cart passed by, the disquieting thought lingering. After losing his appetite slowly, having it suddenly spark into existence like that disturbed him. He could match Lina and Gourry at the table now, perhaps even put them to shame. And yet-

And yet, when he slept, he still didn’t feel full.

* * *

They were looking at him.

Zelgadis put his silverware down, trying to shift behind the stack of plates. The skin alone would have drawn their gaze, but the food- He twitched the end of the hood, making sure it didn’t slip any. At least he hadn’t gotten a room. It would have just been money wasted. His pouch was going to be substantially lighter after this as it was but he was still so _hungry._ And he could feel something on the edge of his awareness, something that he could almost taste that he wanted-

Fear pressed in around him, almost choking him. Enough of this. Coin clattered onto the table as he stood, pulling his mask around him. Zelgadis moved to leave, trying to ignore the hateful looks around him, how they gazed upon a monster like him. His eyes swept up towards the door, catching one set of eyes glaring at him with such terror and revulsion and hatred that it made his feet stutter slightly as something horrible and dark sparked inside him.

Something so hungry, so _needy_ -

Zelgadis broke the gaze first, resolutely keeping his eyes on the door as his blood flamed, curling against his stone skin in panting streaks. He needed, he wanted, he had to have- what? The question rolled emptily inside him, clattering around his turmoiled mind. The pressure of their feelings held against his skin, wanting so hard to break in, to tumble into something so perfect so right so _hungry-_ He gasped into the cold fresh air, feeling his skin sing.

What Xellos had done- No, it couldn’t be. He looked down at his hands, watching them shake. He had just... imagined it. Zelgadis started to leave, trying to ignore how something inside him grumbled, half full. How something uncurled within him, sparking through him darkly, making him _feel._

A curl of suspicion slowed his steps. His eyes turned to one side, catching sight of a woman pulling her son away from the door. Men in white shamanistic outfits, head and face covered, with the hair that did stick out literally shining in moonlight weren’t normal he realized with no little humor. But the terror that the woman gave him when her eyes caught his, when she realized the stone set above the mask...

Zelgadis stumbled a little, his body shaking as he turned his head away. Revulsion - his, finally, his and his alone - made him gag as his feet picked up in pace. It had been stronger than anything he had felt while eating, a mother’s fear for her child. And it made his skin come alive with absolute _pleasure_. The horror had wormed its way in, breaking through where hatred had not.

And for the first time since Xellos had arced that dark energy across him, for the first time since he had felt the answering spark reach hungrily for him, he felt powerful, strong, _full._

Zelgadis stumbled to a stop outside of town, shaking fingers yanking his mask down as nausea rose. The food he had so recklessly devoured rose again, not being what he had needed. Not by far. Limbs shook as his own fear and disgust filled him, dropping to his knees as he gagged on the emotion and rising food.

What- what had Xellos done?

**Author's Note:**

> Scratch it up and turn  
> Catch a fire and burn   
> -Eliza Rickman, "Cinnamon Bone," _O, You Sinners_


End file.
